Display window with multi-layer, parallel tab display

• US 9,189,134 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BMC Software Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BMC Software Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Poston, Ricky, He, Ting, Cooper, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): RIEGLER, PATRICK F
• Application Number:
  US13/251,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20130086507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• Field of Search: 715/777
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor

Abstract

A layer manager provides at least two content layers within a user interface window of a software application. A tab manager provides at least two content tabs within at least one of the content layers. A transfer manager is configured to transfer at least one content tab between the at least two content layers.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

at least one processor;

instructions recorded on a computer-readable medium and executable by the at least one processor, the instructions including;

a layer manager configured to cause the at least one processor to provide, within a user interface window of a software application, at least a first content layer and a second content layer provided in a stacked arrangement in which the first content layer is visible at a front of the stacked arrangement and the second content layer is at least partially obscured behind the first content layer;

a tab manager configured to cause the at least one processor to concurrently display at least a first content tab and a second content tab within the first content layer, wherein the first content tab includes a first tab control, a first tab transfer element, and a first content pane, and wherein the second content tab includes a second tab control, a second tab transfer element and a second content pane;

and a transfer manager configured to cause the at least one processor to transfer, in response to a user selection of the second tab transfer element, the second content tab between the first content layer and the second content layer, including continuing to display the first content tab within the first content layer subsequent to the transfer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the layer manager is further configured, subsequent to the transfer, to visibly indicate inclusion of the second content tab within the second content layer, concurrently with the display of the first content tab within the first content layer.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the layer manager is further configured to receive a user selection of the second content layer by way of a layer selector displayed in conjunction with the visible indication of inclusion of the second content tab within the second content layer, and thereafter transfer the second content layer and the second content tab to the front of the stacked arrangement, thereby at least partially obscuring the first content layer and the first content tab within the stacked arrangement.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the second content layer includes a third content tab that is transferred with the second content layer and the second content tab to the front of the stacked arrangement and displayed concurrently with the second content tab within the second content layer, and further wherein a visible indication of inclusion of the third content tab within the second content layer is provided in conjunction with the layer selector prior to the transfer of the second content layer, the second content tab, and the third content tab to the front of the stacked arrangement.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the tab manager is configured to provide a third content tab with a third tab transfer element, which, in response to user selection thereof, causes the transfer manager to execute an inter-layer tab transfer of the third content tab from its current content layer to a different content layer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the tab manager is configured to provide user-selectable sizing elements for adjusting relative sizes of the first content tab and the second content tab when displayed within the first content layer prior to the transfer.

7. The system of claim 1, comprising default options which are selectable by a user and which store display configurations of the first content tab, the second content tab, the first content layer, and the second content layer across two or more sessions.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first content tab and the second content tab is displayed with a tab float element, which, in response to a user selection thereof, causes the tab manager to display the corresponding tab outside of the display window as being separately and independently movable and/or adjustable with respect to the first content layer and the second content layer.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first content tab and the second content tab are aligned with one another, and wherein a view generator is configured to cause at least one screen control of the display window to control the first content tab and the second content tab while maintaining the alignment thereof.

10. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

displaying at least a first content tab and a second content tab concurrently within a visible content layer of a plurality of content layers stacked within a user interface window of a software application, with the visible content layer displayed at a front of the plurality of content layers and in front of at least one obscured content layer of the plurality of content layers, wherein the first content tab includes a first tab control and a first content pane, and wherein the second content tab includes a second tab control and a second content pane;

storing at least a third content tab in conjunction with a corresponding obscured content layer of the plurality of content layers, wherein the third content tab includes a third tab control and a third content pane;

displaying a first inter-layer tab transfer element for the first content tab for transfer thereof between the visible content layer and the corresponding obscured content layer;

displaying a second inter-layer tab transfer element for the second content tab for transfer thereof between the visible content layer and the corresponding obscured content layer;

displaying a third inter-layer tab transfer element for the third content tab for transfer thereof between the corresponding obscured content layer and the visible content layer, wherein the first inter-layer tab transfer element, the second inter-layer tab transfer element, and the third inter-layer tab transfer element are displayed concurrently with the visible content layer;

and displaying a layer selector for the corresponding obscured content layer for exchange thereof, together with the third content tab, with the visible content layer.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

displaying a fourth inter-layer tab transfer element concurrently with the visible content layer and corresponding to a fourth content tab included with the third content tab within the corresponding obscured content layer.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying the third inter-layer tab transfer element and the fourth inter-layer tab transfer element with a visual indication that the third content tab and the fourth content tab are included within the corresponding obscured content layer.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

displaying each inter-layer tab transfer element together with a layer selector for specifying a destination content layer of the stacked arrangement of content layers for the corresponding content tab being transferred between content layers.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first content tab, the second content tab, and the third content tab is displayed with a tab float element, which, in response to a user selection thereof, causes the corresponding tab to be displayed outside of the display window and to be separately and independently movable and/or adjustable with respect to the stacked arrangement of content layers.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first content tab and the second content tab are aligned with one another, and wherein at least one screen control of the user interface window is provided which controls both of the first content tab and the second content tab while maintaining the alignment thereof.

16. A computer program product, the computer program product being tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and comprising instructions that, when executed, are configured to cause at least one processor to:

store at least a first content layer including at least a first content tab and at least a second content layer including at least a second content tab, wherein the first content tab includes a first tab control and a first content pane, and wherein the second content tab includes a second tab control and a second content pane;

display the first content layer as a visible content layer causing the second content layer to be an at least partially obscured content layer;

display the first content tab within the first content layer as the visible content layer;

display, together with the visible content layer, a first inter-layer tab transfer element configured to transfer the first content tab to the second content layer;

display, together with the visible content layer, a second inter-layer tab transfer element configured to transfer the second content tab to the first content layer;

display, together with the visible content layer, a layer selector configured to select the second content layer as the visible content layer and the first content layer as the at least partially obscured layer;

and execute, for the visible content layer, a content tab sizing adjustment in response to any inter-layer tab transfer to or from the visible content layer, including concurrently displaying any two or more content tabs selected for inclusion within the visible content layer.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, are further configured to cause the at least one processor to

store a third content tab in association with the second content layer and the second content tab;

provide the layer selector as identifying the second content tab and the third content tab with the second content layer;

receive a selection of the layer selector and exchange the second content layer with the first content layer to make the second content layer the visible layer, including concurrent, size-adjusted displaying of the second content tab and the third content tab within the second content layer.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, are further configured to cause the at least one processor to

provide at least a third content layer, wherein the first inter-layer tab transfer element is configured to receive a selection of either the second content layer or the third content layer for inclusion therein.